Internal-combustion engine



2 Sheets-Sheet' 1 E. R. BURTNETT INTERNAL coNBUsTloN ENGINE Filed Feb.14. 1921 Lw@ E. R. BURTNETT INTERNAL coMBusToN ENGINE Filed Feb. 14,1.921 '2 sheets-snaai, 2

y j'. fill f" l To alli/whom t may concern.'

Patented Oct.. 7, `.21924.

' UNI-TED ASTATES AParti-:rrr or'rlciz.

EVEBE'IT R. BURTNETT, 0F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNmgASSIGNO, BY DIRECT ANDMESNE ASSIGNMENTS, F ONE-THIRD T0 'HARRY R..PHILLIPS, OF NEWHALL,CALIFORNIA, AND ONE-THIRD TO HOMER A. BRUNELL,' OF LOS ANGELES, GALI-FORNIA.

mitEmmi.coialnsustrxonr.A ENGINE` Application med February 14, 1921.Serin No. 444,662.

Be it known. that I, Evann'rr liu-BURT- NE'x'r, a citizenfof the UnitedStates, residing at Lows-Angeles, in the county of Los .Angeles andState of California., haveinvented new and useful Improvements inInternalfCombustion Engines, ofwhich the following is a specification. l

My invention relates combustion engines, an more particularly to anengine of the sleeve valve type, the. `principal object of my inventionbeing to generally improve upon and simplify the construction oftheexisting types of in-.

ternal combustion sleeve valve engines. V

Further objects of my invention are to provide a relatively simple andeicient construction wherein the piston operates within i a waterjacketedcyhnder and the sleeve valves being disposed -about saidcylinder,

which arrangement separates the valve mechanism from the combustionchamber and piston, thereby minimizing the convection of heat to thesleeve valves and consequently minimizing their tendency to expandduring operation, to provide iniproved means for disseminating the heatgenerated during the continuous operation of the engine, tov providesimple and efficient means foradinitting gaseous fuel into thecombustion chamber from practicadly. all points throughout itscircumference j and likewise permitting the exhaust of burnt gases fromthe combustion chamber outwardly at practically all points throughoutits circumference, to provide a construction wherein a relatively `fixedcylinder or sleeve is arranged between the two sliding sleeves orv-alves, all `of which sleeves are provided. with ports that are adaptedto coincide with each other as the sliding sleeves -are reciprocated,thereby making I it possible to provide correct timing for four-cycleoperation of thejengine, and further, toA provide a sleeve valveinternal combustion engine.

that can be readily assembled 'or taken apart and which can be used withequal advantage as a high power motor of the high speeds or for heavyduty at relatively low speeds and in addition, said engine having theadvantages of being comparatively silent in operation and positive anduniform in valve action.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention vconsists incertain novel features of construction and arrangement of partsthatwillbe hereinafter more fully described and claimed and illustratedinthe accompanying drawings, in which Flg. 1 1s a s1de elevational viewof an internal combustlon .englne constructed 1n accordance with myinvention. generallyto internal Fig. 2 is a vertical section' takenthrough the central axial lineof one of the cylinders of my improvedinvention.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line .3 3 of Fig.`2.

- Fig", 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 4 4; of Fig. 2. j iQ Fig. 5 is an elevational view of the water jacketed cylinder Withinwhich the piston A1s arranged' and upon` which the sleeve valves arepositioned for operation. v

Fig. 6 is an elevational View of the inner sleeve' valve of the engine.

Fig. 7 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of the stationarysleeve that is arranged betweenthe inner and outer -re c iprocatingsleeve valves. l Fig. 8 is a side elevational view, partly in section,of the :outer sleeve valve and' embodiment of my invention, 10designates the crank case, lsame being preferably formed of cast metaland constructed in two or more parts to facilitate manufacture andassembly, and arranged -for rotation in suitable 'bearings within saidcrank case is a crank shaft l1 anda valve operating crank shaft 12, thelatter being -driven irectly from crank shaft 11 by a train of gearingsuchl as 13 land which vlatter is inclosed in a suitable housing 14.

Inasmuch as there are two sleeve valves for each cylinder of the engine,it is neces.

. and; the upper portion of 'this shell orl hous-l ing is provided witha iinished'annular .face

ecting upwardly from the top of crank y t 18 that serves as a bearingsurface for the outer face of the outer sleeve valve and which will behereinafter more .fully described.

Formed inthe wall of the shell 17 around that portion having the n-ishedinnerface 18 is an annular gaseous fuel distributing chamber'lt) havingan inlet opening 20` to "which is connected a gaseous'fuel' supply pipeI(not shown), andformed through theV innerwall of this chamber is aseries of radially-disposed gaseous fuel inlet ports 21. lnclosing theupper end of shell or housing 17 is a flange 22 that is formed on thelower end of'a hollow exhaust cap 23 and ,which latter .is provided withan outlet 24 lto which may be connected a suitable eX- haustl pipe, (notshown). l

Cap 23 is provided with integrally formed vertically disposedcylindrical wall 25 and formed therein is an annular' chamber 26 throughwhich a fluid cooling medium such l as water is adapted to circulate andfor this purpose one end of a circulating pipe such as 27 is connectedto said chamber 26.

Depending from the lower end .of the cylindrical wall 25 in cap 23 is acylinder 28 the lower end of which rests directlyjon top ofthe crankcase 10, and thewall of this l cylinder is provided with an vannularvchamber `29 through whichy is adapted to circulate a fluid coolingmediumsuch as water' and Vthis annular chamber has communicatingjects/outwardly* from the -lower portion of the cylinder 28.

Mounted on this threaded nipple is a 'flanged collar 34 'that inclosesthe flange 32 on pipe 31, and seated in the wall of hous-` "ing 17around pipe 31 is a screw plugv 35 and which latter closes an opening insaid housing through which access maybe had to the connection betweenpipe 31.v and nipple 33. n a t a Interposed between screw plugj35 andthe outer end of flanged collar 34 is a suitable packing ring 36.

Formed through the wall of the cylinder 28 a short distance below itsupper end is 'a series of radially disposed'ports 37, and

seated-in lthe outer face of vsaid cylinder above and below these portsare suitable packing rings such as 38. A plate or disc '39 is positionedwithin'the cylinder immediately above the plane occupied by the ports 37and formed integral withthis plate or disc is an upwardly projectingannular wall 1 40 that coincides with the corresponding les wall 25 thatis formed in cap 23.

Extending downwardly through the openings in the coinciding annularwalls 25 andY 40 is a tubular member 41 the lower end of which lisexternally threaded in order to. engage a corresponding'internal threadthat. is formed in the lower portion of the annular wall 40, and byvirtue of .this construction the cylinder 28 and cap 23 vare firmlysecured to each other and maintained in roper assembled relation. i

eated' in the center'ofplate 39 is a spark plug 42 theterminals of whichare centrally arranged within the space surrounded by .v the radiallydisposed ports 37. 'llhe bore or space within the lower portion ofcylinder 28 and below plate 39 serves as the combustion chamber 43 .ofthe engine, and the inner face of said chamber is machined in order toreceive a piston such as-44 and which latter is connected to crank shaft11 byv an ordinary form of connecting rod 45'.

A relatively stationary cylinder that incloses the upper portion ofcylinder 28 comprises a tubular member 46 having an internal diameterthat is slightly greater than the external diameter of said cylinder28,` and formed integral with the upper end of this stationary vcylinderis an inwardly projecting flange 47 vthat is provided on its undersidewith a shoulder 48 and which latter bears directly against the upperouter edge of cylinder 28, therebycentering the cylinder 46 uponsaidcylinder 28, and passing io v through said flange l47 and seated in thetop of cylinder 28 are fastening devices 49 such 'as bolts or screws.

Formed through the wall of the stationary cylinder 46 is a plurality ofports 50 that occupy the same horizontalv plane with the 4ports 37 Bothfaces of the wall of` cylinder 46 are machined to form a working-fitwith corresponding surfaces on the sleeve valves utilized in my improvedengine, and the external surface of cylinder-28 islikewise'- machined toprovide a working fit for the sleeve that is positioned between therelatively stationary cylinders 28 and 46. This inner sleeve valve whichis illustrated in Fig. 6, comprises a hollow cylindrical mem'- licr 51open at both ends and being arranged for sliding movement between thecylinders Y28 and 46. y

Formed through the upper portion .of the wall ofthis inner sleeve valveis a series of ports such as52 that are adapted to coincide" vwiththeports 37and 50 when said inner sleeve valve is drawn downward to itslimit of movement. l Pivotally connected to a-lug 53 that projectsoutwardly from the lower end of cylinder 51 is the upper end of aconnecting rod t 54.y the lower end thereof being connected dricalmember 55, open. at both ends, and

the wall thereof being substantially greater in thickness -than thethickness of the inner sleeve valve 51. Thisouter sleeve valve is.

arranged for sliding movement in the chamber between stationary sleeve46 and the upper portion of housing 17 and both surfaces of the wall ofsaid sleeve valve are machined to rovide'working fit with the adjacentsur aces of the relatively lfixed parts.

The lower end of this outer sleeve valve is connected by a connectingrod 56 to crank of the outer sleeve valve 55 is an annular chamber 58open at its upper end Aand its lower end communicating. with a series ofports 59 that are formed through the inner wall of chamber 58 and which-last mentioned ports are adapted to coincide with ports 37 50 and21when the outer sleeve valve reaches its downward limit of movement.

The open upper end of annular chamber 58 communicates directly with thechamber in the upper portion of housing 17, and vformed throughthe topof said housing and communicating with the chamber in 'cap 23 is aseries of exhaust outlet ports or opening-'5.60. The operation of myimproved internal combustion engine is as follows: yAssuming that acharge of combustible vapor has been draw-n into the combustion chamber43 above .the piston 44 and that lthe latter .and the various parts ofthe engine have moved into the position illustrated in Fig. 2,andfurther, that the timing apparatus associated with theengine acts toproduce a sparkbetween the terminals of plug 42, the compressedcombustible charge above thepiston would be ignited and force saidpiston downwardly von its power. stroke. During this downward movementof thepiston, crank shaft 11 and sleeve valve operating shaft 12 .wouldbe rotated in the same direction as illustrated by arrows in Fig. 2.

aol

During the first half of this downward or ower stroke of the piston,crank 16, which 1s 90 in advance of crank 15, will move downward therebythrough'connecting rod 56, drawing the outer sleeve valve downward sothat exhaust port 59 communicates with ports 50 in stationary sleeve orcylinder. 46, and simultaneously crank 15, through connecting rod 54,draws inner cylinder 51 downward until the ports 52 in said innercylinder o-r sleeve register with ports 50 and 59, and on the followingupward or exhaust stroke of the piston, the burnt gases and products ofcombustion will be Vforced outof the combustion chamber through ports50, 52 and 59 and from thence through annular chamber 58 into the cha1n'ber in the upper portion of housing 17, and from thence, throughopenings 60, into and through thehollow cap 28 and out through theexhaust pipe connected to outlet 24.

Upon the succeeding downwardor suction stroke of the piston, the innerand outer sleeve valves will have been moved through their connectingrods 54 and 56 and cranks 15 and 16 into .position so that ports 57, 52,50 and'37 communicate with each other, and consequently a charge ofcombustible vapor will be drawn through inlet opening 2O into andthrough the annular distributing chamber 19, and from thence throughthecoincid- 'ing ports into the combustion chamber.

At the termination `of the suction stroke,

the sleeve valves'will have been moved by connections 54 and 56andi-.cranks 15 and 16 into position so that poitsjare out of registerwith ports 21 and and on the succeeding upward or compression stroke ofthe piston,

the explosive charge drawn into the combustion chamber will becompressed until the piston `reaches its upper limit of travel,whereupon the timing apparatuswill act o produce a spark between theterminals of the spark plugs, thereby igniting" the charge and drivingthe piston downward on its succeeding power stroke.

Among the particularly novel and advantageous features of constructionemployed in my improved engine, I desire to call especial attention tothe constructionand arrangement of the relatively stationary but-readilyremovablegcylinder 28, the sameV being provided thro-ugh the greaterportion of its length with a water jacket and said cylinder beingmachined inside andout in order to receive the piston within the boreand sliding sleeve valve on its outer surface. Y

By such arrangement the valve mechanism is separated from thecomb-ustion chamber and piston by a water cooled cylinder wall, with-the result that the sleeve valves are disposed so that expansionvthereof will be minimized as a result of -limited and uniformtemperature conditions. This arrangement also enablesthepiston to beevenly and eii'ectuallycooled, for it willbe noted that said piston isin direct contact jwith the water cooled cylinder wall and by virtue ofsuchconstruction, said piston and vthe valves are particularly effectivefor heavy duty.

The improved constructions just noted provide an engine that is muchmorey ef- :licient than the types of sleeve valve engines now in generaluse and which latter are generally constructed so that the 'sleeves arelocated within the water cooled cylinder llO iixed cylinder makes itpossibleto correct.`

the timing forfour-cycle operations with planes olf portsv havingbetween them a andy formr a slidable cylinder for the piston,andfwhich'latter arrangement adds materially to the' diiiiculties oflubrication and heat convection `from the piston and the proper andeilicient cooling of the valves. Anotherimportant feature of, my.improved construction is the arrangement of the removable sleeve wall orcylinder 4:6 that is maintained in an efhcient positionv and sustainedbetween y the two slidable sleeve valves to form a fixed cylinder forthe inner one of said sleeve valves.v This Itheuse of `two moving valvemembers, one of the latter being provided with an annular lrovv otportsand adapted to register with the annular row of ports inthe combustion.",chamber and. such registration bein maintainedforthe duration ofapproximately two strokes of the piston which tpermit the escape of thespent gases'jdurin the ex'- haust strokeand the admittance ot thecombustible charge during the suction stroke.

llhese functions are made possible by the arrangement of the two sleeve-valvesonopposite sides of a iixed cylinder wall and the arrangement ofthe ports in `said sleeve valves, sa-id fixed wall and the ports in theinner cylinder.

Further, the admission of the combustible charges of gas throughpractically the entire circumference of the sleeves and the cylinder andthrough the ports that the spent or burnt gases escape counteracts theheating effect of the highly heated exhaust gases, thereby minimizingthe variation ot temperature and the consequent expansion of theco-operating parts.

Further, the location ofthe sleeve valves outside of and encompassingthe water cooled cylinder permits the increased diameter of the outerstructure of the engine and consequently adding substantially to thearea of the ports and atthe same time minimizing, the degree ofreciprocating movement that is necessary to the-proper operation of thesleeves; v

By providing a maximum of' port area, the spent or lburnt gases arefreely and quickly exhausted and likewise the combusctible charge istaken to the combustion chamber more quickly and said charge will V 'beignitedv at a central point and burn-more uniformly by reason ofthe factthat thel .spark plug is located centrally within the I combustionchamber-and centrallykwith/,re-

valves of rangement ot the outer sleeve l)valve which in operationregisters or coincides with the sleeve valve, the cylinder, the. exhaustpassage and the inlet fuel passage; thus the outer sleeve member may beproperly termed `ports in thev iixed sleevewall, the inner a manifold'selector andin construction it diers from-the Aport arrangement in theother members, for it has two series ot ports, each seriesbeingarranged.- throughout the entire circui'nierence of its inner peripheryin the same plane and the two closed or imperfora-te periphery that isequal in'height to that of the portsin the ixed sleeve wall.

.The upper' series of ports in this outer sleeve valve ispiorme'd atthe' base of an vannular space that occupies the upper por-l tion of thevalve member and opening through its upper end. This port and annularspace arrangement provides the exhaust chamber for` the outer sleevevalve.

'lhe lower series ot ports'in this outer vsleeve valve forms straightpassagesy radially through the sleeve valve opening into the inner andouter peripheries in the said plane, and lthese portsprovide thenecessary fuel gas chamberbf-said outer sleeve. 'lhe port area in myimproved construction being so great in ratio to the bore and stroke,the lead and lag-timing of the valve opening and closingrcan bemaintained atany desired degree, or reduced or increased, andconsequently an engine -is provided that will develop a relatively highpower, line at high speeds, and at .the same time A`capable of heavyduty at slow speeds. y

lt will be readily understood that minor changes in the size, form andconstruction of the various parts of my improved internal combustionengine .may be made and subsituted for those herein shown and describedwithout departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which isset forth -in the appended claims. i

llfclaim as my invention: 1. ln an internal combustion engine, ahousing, a capposit-ioned' on said housin and provided with 'an exhaustchamber an with a luid cooling medium chamber, a water'jacketed cylinderwithin said housing, the chamber-ofthe water jacket -in said cylindercommunicating with the Huid cooling medium chamber inthe cap, portedcylindrical members concentrically arranged about the water j acketedcylinder within the housing, one of which cylindrical members isprovided with an exhausty chamber which communicates with the exhaustchamber in the cap'and means for actuating certain of ice said portedcylindrical members for controlling the admission of combustible fuel to'the combustion chamber `in the water iso jacketed cylinder and forcontrolling the exhaust of burnt gases from said combustion chamber.

2. In an internal combustion engine, a housing having Aa gasdistributing chamber,l a power cylinder removably arranged Within thehousing, exhaust and intake ports formed in the cylinder and adapted tocommunicate with said distributing lchamber, an exhaust cap sustained onthe housing, exhaust ports formed in the housing to effect4communication with said cap, a stationary sides of and against thestationary sleeve,

and ports .formed in all of said sleeves for controlling the supply ofgaseous fuel to the cylinder ports and for effecting the discharge ofproducts of combustion fr'om the "20 cylinder through said exhaustports.

In testimony whereof I have 4signed my4 i name to this secication; l l,

y 4 'ERETT,R. BURTNETT.

